Stowe said he is humbled by those who have pursued "a life of faith in a church that has not always welcomed or valued" them or their worth. As a shepherd, he needs to hear their voices and take seriously their experience, he said, adding that both the presence and persistence of LGBT Catholics inspired him.
[...]
[Stowe] hopes and prays "for a culture of encounter" to ensue so "we can become fully engaged with those who want to live the Catholic life and who love the Catholic Church. ... Why would we want to turn our backs on them?"
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“Christian morality is more concerned with the well-being and dignity of the person than with rules, norms or commandments. Jesus seems to teach this on many occasions.”
Stowe, a Franciscan, was appointed to the Lexington see by Francis in 2015. New Ways Ministry is in the so called Vatican penalty box. So-called because despite this Msgr. Georg Gaenswein got them VIP tickets to a general audience and Francis’ friend and old student Yayo Grassi gave an ‘impromptu’ speech at New Ways Ministry’s award ceremony last year quoting Francis, “believe me, in my pastoral work, there is no place for homophobia.” At the same ceremony James Martin was given the Building Bridges Award. This is the same person whom Francis appointed as a Consultant for Vatican Secretariat for Communications and whose every behavior screams that he is a practicing homosexual and Satanist.
